Jeff Austin's tremendous impact on our community will never be forgotten. So many family, friends, and music fans' lives were connected and inspired by Jeff, creating endless memories, both on the stage and off.

With just a few weeks until the gates open at the Newport Folk Festival, I find myself thinking about little else, at least musically. I go to a number of festivals and see a lot of shows, but it’s rare that a musical event can rob my attention well before it happens. It’s difficult to describe the festival to those who haven’t been; like anything magical, you really need to experience it for yourself to fully understand why it sells out instantly, without the fanfare of announcements and advertisements. In fact, the last ticket is sold long before the first artist is announced.

The Caverns fall line-up continues to grow with jamgrass bands Greensky Bluegrass on Wednesday, September 25 and The Infamous Stringdusters on Saturday, October 18. Tickets and overnight packages for both shows go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 7 at 10 a.m. CT.

The Infamous Stringdusters rise to new heights on their ninth full-length record Rise Sun. For the album, the GRAMMY® Award-winning quintet—Andy Falco [guitar], Chris Pandolfi [banjo], Andy Hall [dobro], Jeremy Garrett [fiddle], and Travis Book [double bass]—expanded their signature sound by perfecting their seamless fusion of All-American-bluegrass and rock.

In just a couple of months, on July 18-21, North Plains, Oregon will see the return of one of the country’s premier bluegrass and roots music festivals, Northwest String Summit. Hosted every year by presiding band Yonder Mountain String Band, the four-day event will see top-billing sets from other veteran performers like The Infamous Stringdusters and Trampled By Turtles, as well as invite newcomers from across the musical spectrum, like Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Dark Star Orchestra, Galactic and more.  

The Borderland Music & Arts Festival™ unveiled the line-up for its September 21st and 22nd festival at Knox Farm State Park featuring over 20 bands on three stages with a diverse mix of national and regional Americana and roots artists. 

The 18th Annual Northwest String Summit (String Summit) is one of the top boutique live music experiences in the country and presents today's leaders in the Americana, Bluegrass, Indy Rock, and Jam genres. It all happens at the iconic Horning's Hideout (North Plains, OR) from July 18 - 21, 2019. Located just 20 miles outside of Portland, OR, Horning's Hideout, a private family-owned reserve of old-growth trees, wild peacocks, ponds, and campsites, is among the West's most awe-inspiring festival sites in the country.

As an alternative to the campout festival, the inaugural 4848 Festival is offering festival lovers an evolved summer experience. Taking place July 11 - 13 atop Snowshoe Mountain in Snowshoe, WV (at 4848’ above sea level), patrons get everything a festival has to offer, while experiencing premier accommodations within the resort’s Mountain Village, complete with modern amenities atypical to a three-day summer festival.

4848 Festival performing artists include:

Greensky Bluegrass (two nights)

Progressive bluegrass pioneers, the Infamous Stringdusters rolled into Eugene (Ore.), January 20, and lit-up the McDonald Theater with a typically brilliant performance. This fire-breathing, five-piece combo’s relentless determination to Dust damn near every town in the country has honed their live show into one of the most reliably “hot” tickets on the thriving jam-band circuit. Every set is a high-flying adventure.